Folding back rest



1,625,106 Apnl 19 1927 J. w. SULLIVAN FOLDING BACK REST Filed April 23, 1924 INI/ENTOH Patented Apr.- 19, 1927.

UNITED STATES y 1,625,106 PATENT j OFFICE.

JOSEPHINE W. SLULLIVAN, OF NEW YORK, Y.

OLDING BACK REST.

Application ledApril 23, 1924. Serial No. 708,340. i

My improvedvdevice is adapted for supporting the back of a user when seated upon the ground or upon a backless bench or stool, or in a bed for invalids. p

5 The main object of my invention is to provide a device of this character which may bg compactly folded for carrying when not in use, and which Iwill afford a comfortable but strong rest when unfolded and in o operative position.

The preferred embodiment of the invention includes a back section and a seat section, both of'iiexible material and each reinforced by rigid frame members so de- 5 signed and so connected together as to facilitate folding into compact space. The seat and back sections are hinged together and are extensible in width. Backward swinging movement of the back member is limited o` by flexible tension devices attached to the seat member, which latter is held in place by the weight of the person seated thereon.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my im- 5 proved back rest in operative position.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the device folded `for carrying.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line B--B of Fig. 1, and on a somewhat larger scale.

I Fig. 4 is a view in rear elevation, and

Fig. 5 is a transverse section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

My improved construction includes a back section A and a seat section B, each of which 5 has a flexible body portion and a reinforcing frame. The frame includes side members which are connected at lthe upper end of the back and at the frontend of the seat. Each side portion of the frame includes a pair of =0 bars 10 and 11 connected by a suitable hinge or pivotal joint 12. The transverse frame members are so designed as to permit the side frame members to be broughtclose together or `directly superposed during the L5 folding of the device. I do not wish to be limited to any specific type of transverse member so long as it is capable of permitting this folding or collapsible action. Merely as an examp e, each transverse member includes a pair of bar sections 13 and 14, each having one end pivotally connected to a side portion of the frame. The bar sections 13 and 14 may be hinged or may be detachably connected, as for instance by means of a slide 15 of such size as to snugly enclose the two overlapping ends. By movknot inside of the pockets ing this slide endwise beyond the terminall of one bar section, each bar section may be swung through approximately 90 to lie .in superposed relationship to the side portion of the frame. If desired the bar sect1ons 13 and 14 may be so constructed as to prevent relative endwise movement when held toether by the slide 15. As shown, one of the bar sections has a lug 16 entering .an

aperture 17 in the other bar section.

In addition to this main frame there is a center frame member including a bar 18 similar to the bars 10, and a bar 19 similar to the bars 11. These are connected by a hinge or other' pivotal connection 20. This intermediate frame member is not directly connected to the main frame but is held in proper position in respect thereto by the flexible covering; as hereinafter described.

The frame carries or is connected by a flexible covering including a sheet 22 forming the back and a sheet 21 forming the seat. These two sheets may be of a single piece of material, if desired, and they are formed with pockets to completely enclose and protect the frame members 10, 11, 18 and 19. The transverse frame members are but are-in the rear of the cloth forming the back and below the cloth forming the seat, so that access may be gained to the slides and the bar sections swung around to the proper position for folding. The pockets may be formedin'any suitable manner, as for instance by making each sheet of double thickness and running lines of stitchinign23 to connect lthe two layers and thereby de le the pockets.' To hold the back at the proper angle in respect to the seat, I provide which maybe in the form of chains 24. These are connected to the upper ends of the side frames of the back and ends of the side frames of the seat. If desired these tension members may be made of adjustable length to permit the tilting of the back to different angles. As shown, the chains extend through rings and terminate in hooks which may be caught into different links.

The parts occupy substantially the positions shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 4 when the device is opened up for use. To collapse the device the back may be folded down onto the seat, and the slides moved endwise to ermit separation of the bar sections 13 an 14. The apparatus will then consist of merely flexible tension membersib` to the 4 front the three frame sections connected ,solely bythe cloth of the back and seat, and the device may thus be rolled or folded into a compact package as shown in Fig. 2. It will be noted that the back when in operative position includes a transverse frame member which forms an adequate support across the shoulders, and also includes a substantially vertical central member which supports the person along the center line of the back., These two frame members, together, thus cooperate to support the body in the most comfortable and satisfactory manner. rlhe transverse members prevent the side frame members from bending toward each other, and thus the chains or other flexible tension membersare held with the proper spacing upon each side of the user. Although the framemembers may be made of any suitable kind of stock, they are preferably made of flat steel bars which are comparatively light in weight but present surfaces which are wide enough to distribute I the pressure and avoid cutting effect.

Havin thus described my invention, what l c aim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A. combined seat and back rest having a seat section and a back section, each section including a pair of side frame members and an intermediate frame member parallel thereto, each frame member of the back section being hingedto the corresponding frame member of the'seat section, flexible means connecting each side member of the seat section to the corresponding side frame members in spaced relationship 'and to support said intermediate frame member or to lie parallel to said frame members, and permit said rolling of said covering.

2. A back rest including a back section and a seat section hinged together, said sections each including a fabric covering and a metal frame, and said, metal frames each including a pair of side frame members, a

central frame member, and a plurality7 of transverse frame members adapted to connect said side frame members and hold them in spaced relationship or to permit them to be brought into closely juxtaposed positions, said transverse frame members being unattached to said center frame member, and said fabric covering concealing and protecting said side and center frame members, but said transverse members being outside of said covering'whereby they may be operated without removing the covering.

Signed at New York, in the county of N ew York and State of New York, this 22nd day of April, A. D.v 1924.

JOSEPHNE W. SULLIVAN.

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